My sense of humor is one of my most beloved traits. Laughter is a shield that protects all the soft squishy bits inside from being hurt by the utter craziness of the world that surrounds us.
My comedy inspirations are first and foremost George Carlin, followed up by a motley crew of other standup comedians who all approach comedy in different ways. From Jeff Dunham’s comic ventriloquism to Bob Saget’s blue-as-blue-can-be rendition of The Aristocrats. Nothing is verboten, nothing is censored, and there is a reason why we laugh at what we do even if on the surface it could make us feel very ashamed if we were asked in as sober a way, why did you laugh at something.
Laughter lightens the mood, brightens a space. It also can help people cope with uncomfortable realities and when it comes to satire, it is a vital channel of real information that otherwise would not be allowed to spread. Everything from dead baby jokes, you your-momma jokes all the way up to challenger-disaster jokes and dahmer-cannibalism jokes are all a part of this. Whenever we are confronted with something beyond our immediate ability to cope, laughter can rush in and help relieve tension and help people climb the tall slope of coping to help them get over whatever it is that they have to get over. There are only a few things that usually don’t have any jokes that surround them, foremost on my mind is a dearth of Holocaust jokes. There are some things that you simply cannot comprehend and even humor is powerless to help you even scrabble at the rockface of that steep coping cliff. What laughter can’t heal, time has to bury.
As for Satire, it’s vital in any working democracy. I would argue that Satire is vital even in working monarchies as ancient courts would always have the King, a Queen, and the Jester (or Fool) who would make satirical comments to the King and help check himself. Here I have to tip my hat to the two biggest names in political satire currently in popular culture and media, that being Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. It is important to be on top of world events and read the news, but I would argue that it’s even more important to listen to the Jester. Regard the satirist and listen to what he has to say. As Jon Stewart is fond of saying, The Daily Show isn’t a news program, it’s just a comedy show and he’s just a comedic monkey. If that’s how we sees himself, that’s his prerogative, however I for one regard The Daily Show as a true source of both entertainment and news. The Jester is so important to the health of the kingdom that it’s often wise to listen to him when you can get the chance. What makes you laugh, then makes you think.
Laughter is that one thing that can stave off a half-living banal death. We all carry around within ourselves a bundle of fireworks, or lightning bugs, or any number of other metaphors for the brightness and creativity of life. It’s when people stop laughing, stop seeking out the funny, that’s when they suffer that most unfortunate mini-death and then end up being cheerless machines trudging through the mechanics of life. Some people suffer this mean fate and all they have to rely on at that point is their weepy faith. At least in my opinion, it’s far better to retain as much brightness as you can and try to kindle it in others so that nobody has to end up having their faith as the only saving grace in their lives. Laughter is too important to allow it to be extinguished, even if you have to make people laugh at your expense – it’s worth it in the end.
